Shopping can be a tricky adventure for families dealing with autism, but add the Christmas rush into the mix and it gets that bit more challenging.
Thankfully, shops are starting to cop on to this fact, and they’re doing all they can to make the festive period easier for parents and children alike.
US department store Costco is one such store setting the example, by holding a special Christmas shopping event for children with autism and their parents.
During the sensory-friendly event – being held in an Illinois store tomorrow, December 16 – visual displays will be taken down, and lighting will be dimmed between 8am and 9:30am.
The move has been lauded by a local charity group, who praised store management in an interview with a local newspaper.
“It’s really helpful for stores to reduce the odours, reduce the sounds, reduce the distractions that make it really hard for children as well as adults,” the rep said.
This isn’t an entirely new phenomenon on these shores, either. Scally’s Supervalu, in Cork, came in for great praise for hosting a sensory-friendly shopping event once a week.
What a fantastic idea that is making life infinitely easier for families. Let’s hope more shops and chains follow in their footsteps.
